Thursday, June 11, 2015

2016 Hyundai Equus Gets A Few Updates Ahead Of New Model’s Arrival

Hyundai Equus sales have slowed to a trickle, with the Korean automaker managing to move just 12,562 of them last year, with around two thirds of the sales taking place in the automaker’s home market. Back in 2011, when the Equus was first launched, more than 27,700 of the cars were sold.

Currently, the Equus is averaging just 200 sales per month here in the U.S.

The good news is that a new model is coming soon. Once again the car will share a platform with the smaller Genesis sedan, and from our spy shots of prototypes it looks like the new Equus will grow slightly compared to the current one. We also hear by way of Auto World News that the new Equus will likely benefit from a downsized turbocharged engine. At present the Equus in the U.S. is available exclusively with Hyundai’s 5.0-liter Tau V-8 good for 429 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque.

The new Equus is not expected until the 2017 model year, which means the current one has at least one more year left in it. For 2016, Hyundai has added a hands-free trunk opening system on the range-topping Ultimate trim. With the system, all you need to do to open the trunk hands-free is stand within a few feet of it with the key in your pocket or purse.

Hyundai says that its two Equus trim levels, Signature and Ultimate, are so generously equipped that there are no individual options available. Some of the standard goodies include an eight-speed automatic, adjustable air suspension, 19-inch wheels, nine airbags, electronic driver aids, parking aids, heated and cooled front seats, navigation and a 17-speaker Lexicon audio system.

There are some available “service” packages for the Equus’ Blue Link connectivity system, however. These are broken down into Connected Care, Remote and Guidance packages. The Connected Care package, which has a one-year complimentary subscription, is a suite of safety and car care features providing Hyundai owners with free proactive services including automatic collision notification, SOS emergency assistance, enhanced roadside assistance, monthly vehicle health reporting and maintenance alerts. The Remote package, as the name suggests, allows you to remotely control certain functions of your car like starting it, locking/unlocking it and tracking it if stolen. Finally, the Guidance package provides destination search powered by Google as well as point of interest searches.

Pricing for the 2016 Hyundai Equus Signature starts at $62,450, including a $950 destination charge. The 2016 Equus Ultimate will set you back $69,700, also including destination. The 2016 models are expected to arrive in showrooms this summer.

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